Published: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 6:05 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 6:05 p.m.

OCKLAWAHA — The County Commission's plan to take advantage of the community's natural wonders now looks south.

At a recent workshop, the board indicated it would revisit its management strategy for the Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area, a 601-acre county park along the western shore of Lake Weir.

Commissioners in recent weeks have been focused on tapping the renewed potential of Silver Springs to attract tourists' dollars once it becomes a state park in October.

Now, the commission apparently wants to find a way to do the same for Carney Island, the largest facility in the county's park system.

But doing so will require a balancing act, since many of those gathered at last Monday's workshop objected to the introduction of large-scale commercial activity on the property.

Many in the crowd attended the meeting to express concerns about the lake level declining to an historic low.

That has hobbled boat access to the lake, rendering the three boat ramps at the park nearly unusable.

Commissioners saw the need to tackle that with summer approaching, and they directed staff to prepare a report addressing the problem within 60 days.

The fix could be pricey.

The cost of one plan to extend the ramps was pegged at $48,000 to $68,000 per ramp.

County officials on Wednesday met at the park to begin discussing what can be done with the ramps to help boaters access the lake, according to county Parks and Recreation Department Director Gina Peebles.

The board last Monday also conceded that it might be time to revise the long-range plan for the park.

The document has not been updated since it was adopted a decade ago — before the board's senior member, Commissioner Stan McClain, was elected. McClain has served since 2004.

McClain, who has been the commission's foremost champion of creating economic opportunity from the transition of Silver Springs, primarily by promoting it as the heart of all the public recreation lands in eastern Marion, suggested the same be done with Carney Island.

“There's a lot of opportunities for us to be able to use the land that's here in Marion County,” McClain said.

“My desire is to figure out how we could get to some of those places and allow this ecotourism to spring here in Marion County,” he added.

“We certainly could be a mecca for ecotourism in Florida.”

David Owen, owner of a bed-and-breakfast on the lake, indicated a market already seemed to exist.

Owen said 80 percent of his guests come from the Orlando or Tampa areas, and he routinely steers out-of-towners to Carney Island for hiking and other activities.

The visitors, Owen reported, are “amazed” by the park. He called on the board “to protect the park we've got here.”

Others urged the same.

The meeting was populated with people bothered by the commission's recent flirtation with the owner of a local restaurant chain.

In December, the board considered a plan by Wendell Landry, owner of the Horse & Hounds restaurants in Ocala, to locate an eatery at Carney Island.

Landry was the only restaurateur to respond to the county's May 2012 request, which aligned with the park's master plan that had called for food service at the facility.

Landry's plan was attacked by lakefront property owners, including his potential competitors.

Some complained that the restaurant was an affront to preserving the land for conservation and recreation.

In a different vein, the lawyer representing both the owners of Gator Joe's restaurant on the north side of the lake and those of a new restaurant set to open this summer at Eaton's Beach on the south end complained about Landry getting a sweetheart deal. That was primarily because the land would be rent free at the beginning of the contract.

The blowback was sufficient for the County Commission to pull the plug on Landry's offer in February, overruling a staff recommendation to award the contract.

That prospect haunted last Monday's meeting, at which commission Chairwoman Kathy Bryant told the crowd that there had been a “misconception” about what the board wanted to accomplish.

The idea, she added, was for a weekend concessionaire who could sell hamburgers and hot dogs to parkgoers.

Some in the crowd, however, wanted to ensure the board understood they didn't want intense development there.

“This park's extraordinary,” said former Florida Gov. Buddy MacKay, who lives on the north side of the lake.

“We voted for taxes for these parks,” said MacKay, recalling the $20 million Pennies for Parks program that voters approved in 1988.

The program to build the county's inventory of parks and environmentally sensitive lands was funded through bonds that were repaid through a property tax.

Carney Island, purchased for $1.8 million in 1991 from the Coca-Cola Co., was the second parcel acquired under Pennies for Parks.

“If we thought there was going to be commercial development here,” MacKay added, “I can guarantee you this thing would not have passed.”

Jane Sands, a board member of the group Save Lake Weir, echoed MacKay's point.

“We don't want to commercialize this park. Once you start commercializing it, I don't feel like there would be any end to where you end up.”

<p>OCKLAWAHA — The County Commission's plan to take advantage of the community's natural wonders now looks south.</p><p>At a recent workshop, the board indicated it would revisit its management strategy for the Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area, a 601-acre county park along the western shore of Lake Weir.</p><p>Commissioners in recent weeks have been focused on tapping the renewed potential of Silver Springs to attract tourists' dollars once it becomes a state park in October.</p><p>Now, the commission apparently wants to find a way to do the same for Carney Island, the largest facility in the county's park system.</p><p>But doing so will require a balancing act, since many of those gathered at last Monday's workshop objected to the introduction of large-scale commercial activity on the property.</p><p>Many in the crowd attended the meeting to express concerns about the lake level declining to an historic low.</p><p>That has hobbled boat access to the lake, rendering the three boat ramps at the park nearly unusable.</p><p>Commissioners saw the need to tackle that with summer approaching, and they directed staff to prepare a report addressing the problem within 60 days.</p><p>The fix could be pricey.</p><p>The cost of one plan to extend the ramps was pegged at $48,000 to $68,000 per ramp.</p><p>County officials on Wednesday met at the park to begin discussing what can be done with the ramps to help boaters access the lake, according to county Parks and Recreation Department Director Gina Peebles.</p><p>The board last Monday also conceded that it might be time to revise the long-range plan for the park.</p><p>The document has not been updated since it was adopted a decade ago — before the board's senior member, Commissioner Stan McClain, was elected. McClain has served since 2004.</p><p>McClain, who has been the commission's foremost champion of creating economic opportunity from the transition of Silver Springs, primarily by promoting it as the heart of all the public recreation lands in eastern Marion, suggested the same be done with Carney Island.</p><p>“There's a lot of opportunities for us to be able to use the land that's here in Marion County,” McClain said.</p><p>“My desire is to figure out how we could get to some of those places and allow this ecotourism to spring here in Marion County,” he added.</p><p>“We certainly could be a mecca for ecotourism in Florida.”</p><p>David Owen, owner of a bed-and-breakfast on the lake, indicated a market already seemed to exist.</p><p>Owen said 80 percent of his guests come from the Orlando or Tampa areas, and he routinely steers out-of-towners to Carney Island for hiking and other activities.</p><p>The visitors, Owen reported, are “amazed” by the park. He called on the board “to protect the park we've got here.”</p><p>Others urged the same.</p><p>The meeting was populated with people bothered by the commission's recent flirtation with the owner of a local restaurant chain.</p><p>In December, the board considered a plan by Wendell Landry, owner of the Horse & Hounds restaurants in Ocala, to locate an eatery at Carney Island.</p><p>Landry was the only restaurateur to respond to the county's May 2012 request, which aligned with the park's master plan that had called for food service at the facility.</p><p>Landry's plan was attacked by lakefront property owners, including his potential competitors.</p><p>Some complained that the restaurant was an affront to preserving the land for conservation and recreation.</p><p>In a different vein, the lawyer representing both the owners of Gator Joe's restaurant on the north side of the lake and those of a new restaurant set to open this summer at Eaton's Beach on the south end complained about Landry getting a sweetheart deal. That was primarily because the land would be rent free at the beginning of the contract.</p><p>The blowback was sufficient for the County Commission to pull the plug on Landry's offer in February, overruling a staff recommendation to award the contract.</p><p>That prospect haunted last Monday's meeting, at which commission Chairwoman Kathy Bryant told the crowd that there had been a “misconception” about what the board wanted to accomplish.</p><p>The idea, she added, was for a weekend concessionaire who could sell hamburgers and hot dogs to parkgoers.</p><p>Some in the crowd, however, wanted to ensure the board understood they didn't want intense development there.</p><p>“This park's extraordinary,” said former Florida Gov. Buddy MacKay, who lives on the north side of the lake.</p><p>“We voted for taxes for these parks,” said MacKay, recalling the $20 million Pennies for Parks program that voters approved in 1988.</p><p>The program to build the county's inventory of parks and environmentally sensitive lands was funded through bonds that were repaid through a property tax.</p><p>Carney Island, purchased for $1.8 million in 1991 from the Coca-Cola Co., was the second parcel acquired under Pennies for Parks.</p><p>“If we thought there was going to be commercial development here,” MacKay added, “I can guarantee you this thing would not have passed.”</p><p>Jane Sands, a board member of the group Save Lake Weir, echoed MacKay's point.</p><p>“We don't want to commercialize this park. Once you start commercializing it, I don't feel like there would be any end to where you end up.”</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or bill.thompson@starbanner.com.</i></p>